Rundle says Lawrence city commissioners deserve higher pay

Bankruptcy

Mike Rundle, a former mayor and 12-year Lawrence city commissioner, has filed for personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Rundle listed assets of $20,938 and liabilities of $33,383 in his April 13 filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Topeka. The filing occurred three days after he left the commission.

Rundle said that earning $9,000 a year as a commissioner, or $10,000 a year as mayor, didn't come close to covering the costs of spending anywhere from 20 to 40 hours a week dealing with city business.

In 2001, Rundle said, he left a management position at the Community Mercantile Co-op to resume work there as a cashier, a part-time hourly position. He figures the move cost him up to $60,000 in lost wages during the past five years.

Now facing combined credit debt of $28,652, according to his bankruptcy filing, Rundle favors boosting wages for the five commissioners overseeing the city's $137.5 million budget for this year.

"This is important work," Rundle said. "It's very complex. A commissioner needs to have a basic understanding of many different things, and I think the salary makes it look like this is some kind of PTA picnic planning committee instead of the work that it is - as an executive management team for a business that's (spending) $137 million a year.

"If you had somebody in the executive level of a corporation of that stature, you wouldn't expect them to work from their home and with those kind of resources."

Rundle completed his required credit counseling in February, after announcing in January that he would not seek re-election. At the time he said that he wanted to spend more time with his father, stepmother and domestic partner.

Now that he's filed for bankruptcy protection, Rundle acknowledges that finances played at least an indirect role in his decision.

"I was no longer willing to do that work at the underpaid rate that it is," Rundle said.

In his bankruptcy filing, Rundle reported having a net income of $18,289 a year, generated from his part-time job at The Merc and work as a piano tuner. He did not include the $656 in net income he had been receiving monthly as a commissioner, acknowledging that those wages would be ceasing as of April 10.

Rundle was elected three times to the five-member commission, which governs the city of Lawrence and sets policies that guide the community's provision of municipal services.

Rundle's first term as a commissioner ran from 1987 to 1991, after which he chose not to seek re-election. Rundle ran again in 1998, taking office in 1999 and being re-elected in 2003. He served yearlong terms as mayor in 2001-2002 and 2004-2005.

Comments

You really are an a$$hole, Sigmund. You clearly know absolutely nothing about Rundle's situation, but you have no more integrity than to accuse him of fraud just to find some relief for whatever it is someone stuck sideways up your backside, probably way back in junior high.

Time for publicly financed elections, perhaps? Then maybe the common man won't be excluded from seeking public office (just6dollars.org) Something has to be done about the obscene amount of money spent on campaigns to buy votes. Surely the money can be put to better use.

Mr. Rundle has shown his mettle by practicing what he believes, even at great personal cost and embarrassment. Whether you agree with how he served, one must respect the financial sacrifice he made in order to serve. He has retained his honor by choosing this path over a felonious path.

Making a choice to give up a full time management job in order to be a city commissioner is just that: a choice, and a poor one, at that. Apparently Rundle's desire to be in control trumped his desire to be financially secure and responsible.

This just sheds more light on the series of poor decisions made by Rundle as a commissioner.

So, what was Rundle's salary as a manager at the Merc? How much was he willing to trade off for the power of being an "executive" and in charge of a multi-million dollar budget?

By filing a Chapter 7, Rundle doesn't have to pay anything back; he just gets to walk away from his debts.

The shame here is not the bankruptcy, but the fact that the City Commissioners that control the City's $137 Million Dollar Budget are just plain people off the street and are ill equipped to make the decisions necessary to properly keep the City running. Lawrence needs a better form of government. Professionals properly compensated for thier knowledge are a must for any city with a population of 100,000 or more.

Why is a two year elected job only worth $9000 compensation per year? Why don't we have people with degrees in City Administration to do this very important job? Maybe the city wouldn't be paying consultants hundreds of thousands of dollars to make decisions they are not responsible for the results on?

Everyone should know that only affluent persons of conservative orientation should hold positions of authority and influence. That's what made this nation great. If libbies had any real aptitude and something to offer for the continued well being of society, they would be rich conservatives, with no financial, personal, or health difficulties. Right rt? And so it goes.

It's official, Rundle is a Deadbeat. Is anyone really surprised? Having lacked the judgment necessary to manage his own finances, his time on the Kommission was marked by a lack of sound fiscal management of City finances. The PLC/GRA fanatical adherence to their ideological doctrine, despite the clear evidence that its ideas were bankrupt, was a costly farce (if not an entertaining one) that Lawrence taxpayers will be paying the price for years to come.

$30 dollar libraries we can't afford, expensive roundabouts that we don't need and can't afford, yearly million dollar subsidies in corporate welfare for a bus system that can't pay for itself and we can't afford, smoking bans that hurt sales tax revenues from bars, coffee shops and restaurants, and endless wasted dollars in consultant fees just begins to scratch the surface of their mismanagement.

We all now can wait for the other shoe to drop as Los Merc begins to loose its protected status and face increased competition for free trade, fair range organically grown garlic chips from HyVee or Dillon's. And here is a helpful household hint to the bankrupt, your budget will go farther if you do your shopping at the new Walmart.

Once again rundle proves himself a better man than marion. i shouldn't post about marion because you aren't suppose to knock a man while he is down, but i have never seen anything but down, dirty and hateful come from that marion.

If you can't pay for it, don't buy it. Period. He should have had the foresight to see that the commissioner and mayor jobs would require supplemental income. Instead of filing bankruptcy and skipping-out on his obligation to pay his bills, he should mow lawns, paint houses, whatever it takes to get out of debt. Freaking deadbeat.

Full time mayor and commission? What a horrible idea and it is exactly what we don't need. We have full time City Managers and the Department Staffs to present available options and implement Commission decisions. What we don't need are professional politicians and bureaucrats whose livelihood depends upon being reelected. What we need are citizens who have succeeded in their personal and professional lives first, and then have the time, finances and selfless desire to devote to public service. What we don't need are people who are failures in their own lives running Our Fair City because it pays better than a grocery clerk or piano tuner.

I forgot to mention that as far as I can tell, all members of the current Commission are exactly the kind of people we need serving the City, even though I doubt sincerely I'll be agreeing much with Boog over the next year or so.

I just reread Rundle's complaint that the move from the management position at the Merc to a part time position cost Rundle $60,000 over 5 years, and his implication that the reason he went into debt was because he was not paid enough as a commissioner to make up for it.

He was paid $51,000 as Mayor and Commissioner during that time.

So, it actually cost him $9,000 in lost income over five years.

Does he expect us to believe that if he had been paid $12,000 a year as a commissioner, he would not be in this fix?

When Rundle took office, the City had a very comfortable contingency fund (equal to 30% of the annual budget, I believe)in the bank. Now that fund is nearly gone, and taxes must be raised just to keep the government running and meeting its current obligations.

Looks like everyone is suffering, financially, as a result of Rundle giving up his management position at the Merc to become a commissioner.

Yea, Sigmund, for all except Boog, serving on the City Commission is a career move-- it'll likely increase their income, and will certainly increase the income of those who paid for their election campaigns. I'm sure we'll all be much better served by government through massive conflicts of interest, rather than someone who was silly enough to approach what is a full-time job as a full-time job, even though you don't get paid that way.

Oh, come on, Godot, it wouldn't matter what Rundle did, positive, negative or neutral, you'd find some way to spin it to allow you to remain in full denial about why this city is in the condition it's in-- massive subsidies to unplanned or poorly planned growth at the expense of basic maintenance of the city's services and infrastructure.

First I hope everyone on the current Commission succeeds personally and professionally. Second, I hope that everyone in Lawrence's income (regardless if they contributed to a political campaign or whose campaign they contributed), including yours, increases over the next couple of years. We going to need it to pay for the PLC/GRA mismanagement of Lawrence over the last decade.

"BTW, the Merc's sales have more than doubled in the last 6 years." They must have cut off Mike's revolving credit account. Let's see how they do when they face an open market without their friends on the Kommission protecting them from competition.

Who the hell would want to be mayor for $10 grand a year? I sure in the heck wouldn't and I bet none of you guys would either. I can make more than that panhandling by the bridge!Do we want someone that gets paid that little to make decisions for our city? I don't know about you guys but more pay makes me want to be more productive!

Being Mayor or serving on the City Commission should NOT be the main source of income for anyone. The City already has full time professionally compensated non-political employees that act as staff for the Commission. They do the research and make recommendations on issues that the Commission decides are important. Staff then implement those decisions. I am glad that keeps anyone who wouldn't want to be mayor "cause it only pays $10 grand a year" from being on the Commission.

Paying city commissioners $9 or $10 K per year is a joke. Limiting the number of those willing or able to do what is a full-time job for such a paltry sum is just stupid, and it ensures that the only ones willing to take on the job are either wealthy and/or using it to advance their own personal financial agendas.

What is the big deal? People who display personal irresponsibility cannot get clearances for most government jobs. But we have a cop who also declared bankrupcy. I guess that is all government jobs (EXCEPT IN LARRYVILLE)

To rephrase slightly, it seems to me that a responsible person would find a way to work out debts of this level without filing BK. If you have $200K is assets and $1m in liabilities, that is a matter for BK. In today's world many college kids have larger balance sheets than reported in this story.

Typical socialist.... Use the capitalist system to run up debts and then run to it again for protection when things don't work out.

"Ummm, what part of DEADBEAT LOSER who can't be trusted to repay his debts did you miss?"

What part of not knowing WTF you are talking about do you not understand? You use minimal information in a newspaper article to jump to a conclusion that in reality is based entirely on your dislike of Rundle because of his political ideology, and perhaps your own homophobia.

You or he will enlighten us on "reality" will you? If there is a factual error in reporting (it wouldn't be the first time the LJW had screwed up) I am sure a correction will be forth coming. Otherwise, I can only conclude that Rundle is a DEADBEAT LOSER who can't or won't repay his debts on time.

Whether or not a retirement plan, including 401(k)'s IRA's, are included in a debtors estate is actually a very hard question. But if Rundle borrowed money from his 401(k) he is allowed to pay off that loan (repay the loan he made to himself). Whether that is a moral thing to do when you owe others is another matter.

" By filing for bankruptcy, you are technically placing the property you own and the debts you owe in the hands of the bankruptcy court. You can't sell or give away any of the property you own when you file, or pay off your pre-filing debts, without the court's consent. However, with a few exceptions, you can do what you wish with property you acquire and income you earn after you file for bankruptcy."

Wow. Nice deal if you can get it. Look at the property which is exempt from the court's control:

also, from nolo.com:

Each state has laws that determine which items of property are exempt in bankruptcy, and in what amounts. These items cannot be seized by creditors or by the bankruptcy trustee.

Many states exempt health aids, "personal effects" (things such as electric shavers, hair dryers, and toothbrushes), ordinary household furniture and clothing without regard to their value.

Other kinds of property are exempt up to a limit. For example, in many states, furniture or a car is exempt to several thousands of dollars. This exemption limit means that any equity in the property above the limit isn't exempt. (Equity is the market value minus how much you still owe.)

Typically, the following items are exempt:

* part of the equity in motor vehicles (the amount varies from state to state)
* reasonably necessary clothing (no fur coats)
* reasonably necessary household goods and furnishings
* household appliances
* jewelry, to a few hundred dollars
* personal effects
* life insurance (cash or loan value or proceeds), (the amount varies from state to state)
* part of the equity in a residence (the amount varies from state to state)
* pensions
* public benefits
* tools of a trade or profession, to a certain value, and
* unpaid but earned wages.

So, don't want to pay your bills? Buy a nice car, buy some furniture, some "tools of trade", some clothes (as long as they are not fur), and put money in a retirement account or life insurance, then file for bankruptcy, and tell your creditors to kiss off.

"So, don't want to pay your bills? Buy a nice car, buy some furniture, some "tools of trade", some clothes (as long as they are not fur), and put money in a retirement account or life insurance, then file for bankruptcy, and tell your creditors to kiss off."

And do not forget to blame the City of Lawrence for your difficulties because it forced you to work for $10,000 a year in a job that you campaigned for, and no doubt spent your own money, to get.

I see you idiots are still busy trying to make bankruptcy sound like the equivalent of hitting easy street.

"And do not forget to blame the City of Lawrence for your difficulties because it forced you to work for $10,000 a year in a job that you campaigned for, and no doubt spent your own money, to get."

As usual, I see that you really didn't bother to read the article at all, did you, Godot? The headline was all you needed to confirm the conclusions you jumped to long ago.

He clearly didn't "blame" the City of Lawrence for this. He merely pointed out that for him, and thousands of people like him, paying city commissioners and mayors $9 or $10 K a year means that he can't afford to serve in that position, and that played a large part in his decision not to run again.

The County Commission recently recognized how unrealistic even the much higher salaries they got were, and raised them to a more realistic level.

But don't expect the city commission salaries to be raised-- the low salaries mean that it's more easily controlled and manipulated by movers and shakers, and mover-and-shaker wannabes.

Well, George, if Bremby filed for bankruptcy a few years ago, it must have been before there were internet forums to enable comments from the anonymous public.

Your statement implies that Bremby filed for bankruptcy when he was a highly paid administrator with the city of Lawrence , and, again, as a highly paid administrator in Kathleen Sebelius' administration.

Well I am sure happy I didn't give them any credit or let them borrow money from me! As to Rod, I think my posts are among the 201 comments on this months bankruptcy, not sure about his bankruptcy a couple of years ago.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/apr...

Just to be clear I know only about 2 bankruptcies, Rundle and Bremby both in April 2007. I was responding to George_Braziller's comments about "Rod Bremby filed for bankruptcy a few years ago" which I hadn't heard about.

BTW George, if you are only two paychecks away from homeless, remind me not to lend you money, extend you credit, vote for you, or put you in charge of a multi-million dollar budget.

I would guess that the LJW would print the details of Rundle's filing along with all the other DEADBEAT LOSERS in the paper.

I have known quite a few people that have gotten in financial trouble over the years and filed BK. In some cases, it was due to medical emergencies or other disasters beyond their control. In other cases, they invested in speculative business ventures that didn't pan out. In the latter case, the people who loaned them money knew (or should have known) about the speculative and risky nature of those investments.

I don't know MR personally but, in his case, it sure seems like he made certain decisions in a completely voluntary manner and the results of those decisions were entirely predictable. Plenty of other people of modest means have served in City office without defaulting. Finally, the story says he filed Chapter 7, which is liquidation. Chapter 13 at least allows the person some time to make an attempt to repay his debts. Couldn't he have done that?

Yep, the former (not current) mayor has shown himself to be as big an incompetent fool with money as you Marion. Congratulations! Sounds like a great reason to gloat -- even if it does come across as one pig calling another "filthy."

Don't forget to file all of your own bankruptcy info while you are busy posting Rundle's.

What will be really interesting is to see if, over the years, Rundle has to file a second, or a third, or forth time. Only then, Marion, will you know you have a brother in arms who is as bad with money as you.

What surprised me is that every lame excuse you've ever listed here for your own failings don't also apply to Rundle. My, I thought for sure you would be the one coming to his defense. Hypocrite!

Go ahead and use bankruptcy as a financial planning tool if you wish; hope you own your own home, because there are many landlords who will not rent to people who have declared bankruptcy; you are also going to pay through the nose for your insurance.

Notice how much respect Trump has; the difference between him and you is, when he declares bankruptcy, he is still rich and powerful enough to not care what people think of him.

I prefer the financial planning tools known as "living within your means," and, "if you buy, pay for it."

Planning to use the bankruptcy laws as a way to cheat people who have trusted you is probably considered fraud not to mention immoral. Running up credit card debts intending to file bankruptcy cheats honest "working folks" who then have to pay higher interest rates because of your selfishness and greed. Even Dennis Moore understood that as did the majority of the US House and Senate.

On January 10, 2007, in Chicago, IL, Melvin D. VanAllen, Jr., former mayor of Justice, IL, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for bankruptcy fraud and illegal transactions with his auto parts business. VanAllen was found guilty by jury in October 2006. According to court documents, VanAllen filed for bankruptcy in 2004. During the bankruptcy procedures, VanAlllen falsely stated that he did not own a home and falsified or left out available cash assets. The jury also found that he illegally structured about $500,000 in cash transactions related to his auto parts business.
http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=163002,00.html

If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with the tax laws, you may report this activity by completing Form 3949-A. You may fill out Form 3949-A online, print it and mail it to:

Oh Bozo, don't get your panties all in a wad. If I were a real a$$hole I would suggest someone form a flash mob descend upon El Merc, buy a box of Fruit Loops (tm), Juicy Fruit (tm), or free trade, fair range locally grown organic Fruit Flavored Gummy Bears and as they finish writing a check mutter "Dead Beat Loser" as they leave headed to the bank to put a stop payment on it, which I am not suggesting anyone do. Feel better?

I do admit, however, to wishing desperately Los Merc and dozens of other locally owned businesses, especially downtown, have extended lots of credit to pogo. I do wonder sometimes how I can sleep so well, night after night. Maybe it is because I pay my bills? Dunno.

I love it when Marion makes a total fool at of himself. Everyone knows that he is a failed degenerate business owner, but that doesn't stop his hypocritial remarks towards Rundle's unfortunate situation. What an idiot.

"He chose to be play the role and enjoyed the trappings of being a ward heel politician which included, we're quite certain, many a fine meal, good times, fun and merriment."

No more so than any other moderately socially active resident of Lawrence. The constituency that supported Rundle was unlike the typical base of supporters of Lawrence City Commissioner over the decades, (and we've recently returned to a typical commission.)

He wasn't about schmoozing or playing his position for personal advancement and getting invited to all the toniest cocktail parties and country clubs. He wasn't looking for career advancement through "public service."

Perhaps it would have better for him personally if he had chosen to cash in on his position. If he'd shown a bit more of a penchant for corruption, perhaps he might have gained a little respect from Godot and Sigmund.

"I love it when Marion makes a total fool at of himself. Everyone knows that he is a failed degenerate business owner, but that doesn't stop his hypocritial remarks towards Rundle's unfortunate situation. What an idiot."

WHEN Marion makes a fool of himself? Has there ever been a time when posting that he didn't? He's the sandbur stuck in the sock of constructive communication.

Lawrence will be much better off when Rundle loses his bully pulpit. Hopefully the interview he willingly gave regarding his Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the beginning of the end of his influence over city matters.

When will you people actually read the article? Nowhere in there did he "blame" the city. He merely noted that serving as a city commissioner, for which he was considerably undercompensated, was a contributing factor.

Clearly, homophobia and numerous other personality disorders are the main driver of most of the complaints here against Rundle, and they fail to address the basic lesson of this situation-- paying commissioners $9-10 K per year means that the pool of potential city commissioners becomes very small, and those in that pool are much more prone to use those positions to promote their own, narrow financial interests, (or those of their backers) and not the interests of whole city of Lawrence.